Catholic Church no longer swears by truth

[Keith]

Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible

By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true.

The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their five million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of scripture, that they should not expect

[nebula]

. . . In the document, the bishops acknowledge their debt to biblical scholars. They say the Bible must be approached in the knowledge that it is

[M45510G1C]

It seems that even the Church these days doesn't posess a basic understanding of scripture.

I actually had a Christian accuse me of not keeping Torah (was discussing Torah observance with them) because my firstborn is still alive because I had not sacrificed her. I just don't know where this nonsense comes from...wait a minute...yes I do...

[Guest Zayit]

It seems that even the Church these days doesn't posess a basic understanding of scripture.

I actually had a Christian accuse me of not keeping Torah (was discussing Torah observance with them) because my firstborn is still alive because I had not sacrificed her.    I just don't know where this nonsense comes from...wait a minute...yes I do...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, talk about ignorance of the word of the G-d you claim to love. How can this be, we are not in the Dark Ages where the CC made it a law ans a crime punishable by death to have a Bible and read it for yourself.

We need a jaw droping smilie here, we really do.

[Ovedya]

It seems that even the Church these days doesn't posess a basic understanding of scripture.

I actually had a Christian accuse me of not keeping Torah (was discussing Torah observance with them) because my firstborn is still alive because I had not sacrificed her.

[Guest Zayit]

Nah, more like this http://www.swcrusade.net/forum/html/emoticons/shocked.gif

but the one I am talking about is a jaw drops to the floor blue one. It goes from regular size smilie to the ja w dropping about an inch and a quarter from the rest of the face. That was how I felt when I read M4's post.

Oy!

[Micah68]

The first post said:

"THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true."

Well, we know what spirit it is that denies the Word of God. The Scripture says this: ... if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Is 8:20

You can try to set some of them straight but if they won't hear it, what can you do? Not much.

[Fiosh]

This really isn't news. The RCC has not taken a literalist approach to the Bible at least since Vatican II.

I remember discussing this issue in high school ( 1972-75...ouch! )

Even then we understood that though the Bible NEVER errs in terms of faith or morals, it is not a science or history book.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

CHAPTER TWO

GOD COMES TO MEET MAN

ARTICLE 3

SACRED SCRIPTURE

I. CHRIST - THE UNIQUE WORD OF SACRED SCRIPTURE

101 In order to reveal himself to men, in the condescension of his goodness God speaks to them in human words: "Indeed the words of God, expressed in the words of men, are in every way like human language, just as the Word of the eternal Father, when he took on himself the flesh of human weakness, became like men."63

102 Through all the words of Sacred Scripture, God speaks only one single Word, his one Utterance in whom he expresses himself completely:64

You recall that one and the same Word of God extends throughout Scripture, that it is one and the same Utterance that resounds in the mouths of all the sacred writers, since he who was in the beginning God with God has no need of separate syllables; for he is not subject to time.65

103 For this reason, the Church has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerates the Lord's Body. She never ceases to present to the faithful the bread of life, taken from the one table of God's Word and Christ's Body.66

104 In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, "but as what it really is, the word of God".67 "In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them."68

II. INSPIRATION AND TRUTH OF SACRED SCRIPTURE

105 God is the author of Sacred Scripture. "The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."69

"For Holy Mother Church, relying on the faith of the apostolic age, accepts as sacred and canonical the books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and entire, with all their parts, on the grounds that, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author, and have been handed on as such to the Church herself."70

106 God inspired the human authors of the sacred books. "To compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more."71

107 The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."72

108 Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion of the book." Christianity is the religion of the "Word" of God, a word which is "not a written and mute word, but the Word is incarnate and living".73 If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, "open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures."74

III. THE HOLY SPIRIT, INTERPRETER OF SCRIPTURE

109 In Sacred Scripture, God speaks to man in a human way. To interpret Scripture correctly, the reader must be attentive to what the human authors truly wanted to affirm, and to what God wanted to reveal to us by their words.75

110 In order to discover the sacred authors' intention, the reader must take into account the conditions of their time and culture, the literary genres in use at that time, and the modes of feeling, speaking and narrating then current. "For the fact is that truth is differently presented and expressed in the various types of historical writing, in prophetical and poetical texts, and in other forms of literary expression."76

111 But since Sacred Scripture is inspired, there is another and no less important principle of correct interpretation, without which Scripture would remain a dead letter. "Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written."77

[Fiosh]

Fiosh:

I don't want to turn this into yet another tradition vs scripture thread, but here goes my response anyway.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

The Hebrew word for "Said", as I can find it, is Amar.

In ever definition listed in strongs, it always has the same connotation of words spoken with the mouth.

The idea that the eternal word of God, the "Logos", cannot be divided into "syllables" as you put it, is fallacious.

2 Timothy 2:15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  

Matthew 4:4 - But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

John 6:63 - It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  

The word "every" implies more than one syllable, indeed more than one "Rhema" word within the "Logos" Word. I'm not trying to confuse you, but evidence is God spoke literally. God has a mouth. A voice. Ears. etc, etc. Man was made in God's image and likeness. Man communicates through spoken words. God communicates through spoken words.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I won't argue with you, WSB. I realize there are differences of opinion as to the literal vs. non-literal interpretation of the Bible...even among non-Catholic Christians.

I was simply making it clear that this was not news.

Peace,

Fiosh

[Guest stray bullet]

Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible

By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true.

That's completely false. This document was done by a few Bishops with no permission from the Church as a whole. This is like two senators writing a bill and saying "The United States made a bill today".

Secondly, all they said was that we shouldn't take every part of the bible literally. Read Revelation's descriptions of Jesus during the Second Coming and tell me that's really what He'll be like.

It seems that even the Church these days doesn't posess a basic understanding of scripture.

I actually had a Christian accuse me of not keeping Torah (was discussing Torah observance with them) because my firstborn is still alive because I had not sacrificed her. I just don't know where this nonsense comes from...wait a minute...yes I do...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, talk about ignorance of the word of the G-d you claim to love. How can this be, we are not in the Dark Ages where the CC made it a law ans a crime punishable by death to have a Bible and read it for yourself.

We need a jaw droping smilie here, we really do.

The Catholic Church never made it a crime to read the bible for yourself.

During Mass, the bible was read aloud, in segments, until the whole bible was read (taking 3 years).

Necessary practice during the days before the printing press.

Seems to be the Church did everything they could to make sure the people heard the scriptures.